The present invention relates to transaction terminals and more specifically to the combination of a stationary base module which includes a printer and a portable hand-held data input module which may be detachably coupled to the base module.
In today's typical retail environment, one or more large terminals are installed in a work area, such as in the checkout section of a grocery store. These terminals then become the focal points for the customers and clerks or cashiers. One result is that valuable work space is preempted. Also the customers and clerks are forced to meet in predetermined areas of the store. To improve the quality of service, it would be desirable to have the clerks free to roam the sales floor and offer assistance to customers. Similarly, in a fast food establishment, if a customer's order is taken by an employee while he or she is waiting in line, the order can be processed more quickly, and the kitchen can be given more time to fill the order. Likewise, in a full-service restaurant, personal service is enhanced if a waiter can input and transfer an order and receive payment directly from the table being served. In a banking environment, to open an account or take out a loan, a portable terminal may be used to display the necessary forms for the institution and its customer. The terminal may be passed between a customer and a bank employee, and all information and signatures may be recorded electronically.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a transaction terminal having a portable hand-held data input module which can be detached from a portion of the terminal which remains in a fixed location, so that the portable module can be carried by an employee to any appropriate location of the establishment and utilized there for customer transactions.